Before she attended the Laureus World Sports Awards in this sexy John Galliano gown, Eva took in a little beach time. Photos surfaced of the actress, restaurateur, and executive producer of NBC's forthcoming dating show Ready for Love hanging out with friends and getting a foot massage in an orange and white printed bikini. There were also some shots where Eva looked like she had a real woman's tummy.

This could be a bit of camera trickery or just a bad angle. In person, the star is absolutely teensy. She's 5'2" with her hair teased and her high heels on and she clearly has a slammin' body. The amount of roundness captured in the photo is minimal. It's just that we're not used to seeing ANY of it -- even on supermodels who've just given birth.

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It's been months since I've been in a bathing suit. But this photo, and the fact that spring break is upon us, are reminding me of the annoying anxiety I still feel about getting into a bikini. I have friends who buy a new batch each season. Not me. When I find one that has a flattering cut, I stick with it until it literally falls apart. Last summer even I had to admit that my favorite red Rosa Cha bikini had lost all of its elasticity -- after 10 years! -- and the bottoms puffed out like a diaper. Not a sexy look.

My daughter came with me to shop for a new one. She ran around the store, picked suits in her favorite electric colors, and then installed herself in the dressing room -- she loves a dressing room. It was really interesting to have her in there because I couldn't express the critical internal monologue that was going on in my head. When she was saying, "You look great, Mama!" was I going to protest and say, "Really? You don't think this one makes my butt look big?"

I left the store with two new bikinis that day. Still, the bathing suit is not my favorite article of clothing and probably never will be. There's something about the vulnerability of it. If foxy celebrities like Eva can be "caught" in less-than-flattering positions, what about the rest of us?

I bet it doesn't thrill Eva to see those Rio shots alongside headlines that include the word "curvier." Then again, maybe she's down-to-earth enough to realize that looking like you may actually eat food now and again only makes fans, myself included, like her even more. And now the tricky part: we should all like ourselves a little more for the same reason.